The presentation will explain the challenges faced when teaching online highly-technical software development subjects, with specific reference to the experience of delivering such modules in Cork Institute of Technology. The presentation will address how some of these challenges have been met successfully, while others remain to be resolved satisfactorily.

Some of the challenges explored include:

Supporting remote students working on complex projects using complex tools

Facilitating and monitoring group projects for remote students

Building community spirit to encourage peer-support

Some of the solutions explored include:

Incentivised forums and private journals

Cloud-based shared code repositories

Consistent virtual desktop environments

Ensuring software projects run “out of the box” to streamline lecturer or tutor support and grading

Cloud-based agile project management software

Anecdotal evidence will be supplied to illustrate frustrations that students face in a mixed synchronous / asynchronous delivery model where peer support is expected to be the first port of call.